Table 1. Characteristics of patients.
| Re-hospitalization (n = 285) | No re-hospitalization (n = 906) | p value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demographic and clinical variables | |||
| Male, n | 158(55.4%) | 534(58.9%) | 0.30 |
| Age, years | 81.1±11.1 | 77.9±12.6 | <0.001 |
| Prior history of heart failure hospitalization, n | 117(41.1%) | 170(18.8%) | <0.001 |
| Duration since previous heart failure at discharge, days | 153.2±192.6 | 242.2±299.2 | 0.004 |
| <3 months, n | 64(22.5%) | 68(7.5%) | <0.001 |
| <6 months, n | 84(29.5%) | 89(9.8%) | <0.001 |
| Past smoking, n | 109(38.3%) | 338(37.3%) | 0.87 |
| Current smoking, n | 41(14.4%) | 143(15.8%) | 0.60 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease | 25(8.8%) | 63(7.0%) | 0.31 |
| Chronic kidney disease, n | 215(75.4%) | 605(66.8%) | 0.006 |
| Hypertension, n | 161(56.5%) | 443(48.9%) | 0.025 |
| Diabetes mellitus, n | 110(38.6%) | 247(27.3%) | <0.001 |
| History of ischemic heart disease, n | 68(23.9%) | 153(16.9%) | 0.008 |
| Atrial fibrillation, n | 25(8.8%) | 102(11.3%) | 0.29 |
| HFrEF, n | 123(43.5%) | 267(29.5%) | <0.001 |
| Length of hospitalization, days | 17.6±12.7 | 20.6±19.0 | 0.003 |
| Length of hospitalization>30days, n | 33(11.6%) | 164(18.1%) | 0.01 |
| Elevated creatinine at discharge, n | 37(13%) | 104(11.5%) | 0.33 |
| Worsening renal function, n | 162(34.6%) | 49(35.3%) | 0.84 |
| Etiology | |||
| Arrhythmia, n | 15(5.3%) | 63(7.0%) | 0.003 |
| Congenital heart disease, n | 3(1.1%) | 4(0.4%) | |
| Ischemic cardiomyopathy, n | 106(37.2%) | 256(28.3%) | |
| Pulmonary hypertension, n | 3(1.1%) | 13(1.4%) | |
| Valvular disease, n | 67(23.5%) | 177(19.5%) | |
| Cardiomyopathy, n | 78(27.4%) | 286(31.6%) | |
| Others, n | 13(4.6%) | 107(11.8%) | |
| Laboratory variables at discharge | |||
| Hemoglobin, g/dl | 11.2±1.9 | 11.7±2.2 | <0.001 |
| Hematocrit, % | 33.9±5.6 | 35.5±6.3 | <0.001 |
| Albumin, g/dl | 3.1±0.4 | 3.2±0.5 | 0.20 |
| Uric acid, mg/dl | 7.5±2.1 | 7.1±2.2 | 0.01 |
| Urea nitrogen, mg/dl | 27.5±14.5 | 25.2±15.8 | 0.03 |
| Creatinine, mg/dl | 1.4±0.8 | 1.5±1.6 | 0.53 |
| eGFR, ml/min/1.73m2 | 43.7±24.2 | 49.2±25.0 | 0.002 |
| Sodium, mEq/l | 139.1±3.7 | 139.2±3.8 | 0.70 |
| Potassium, mEq/l | 4.2±0.6 | 4.2±0.6 | 0.67 |
| NT-pro BNP, pg/ml | 7059.5±8777.1 | 5780.3±13950.9 | 0.092 |
| Echocardiographic variables at discharge | |||
| LVDd, mm | 51.7±10.0 | 49.3±8.9 | <0.001 |
| LVDs, mm | 40.8±11.7 | 37.5±10.3 | <0.001 |
| EDV, ml | 110.7±59.1 | 101.8±50.1 | 0.026 |
| ESV, ml | 68.4±50.4 | 57.6±40.9 | 0.001 |
| SV, ml | 42.3±16.1 | 44.3±18.6 | 0.046 |
| LVEF, % | 43.0±14.2 | 47.7±14.6 | <0.001 |
| Mitral regurgitation, n | 34(11.9%) | 100(11.4%) | 0.77 |
| LAD, mm | 42.3±7.4 | 41.4±8.1 | 0.12 |
| LAVI, ml/m2 | 46.2±19.2 | 40.8±24.7 | 0.004 |
| ICD, CRT | 42(14.7%) | 33(3.6%) | <0.001 |
| Pharmacological treatment at discharge | |||
| ACE-I or ARB, n | 183(64.2%) | 582(64.3%) | 0.81 |
| β-blocker, n | 199(69.8%) | 554(61.2%) | 0.008 |
| Aldosterone antagonists, n | 100(35.1%) | 363(40.1%) | 0.078 |
| Loop diuretics, n | 231(81.1%) | 631(69.7%) | <0.001 |
| Dose of loop diuretics, mg | 22.3±15.9 | 19.1±21.0 | 0.008 |
Values are mean±SD, %, or median (quartile 1–quartile 4).
eGFR = estimated glomerular filtration rate; NT-pro BNP = N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide; LVDd and LVDs = left ventricular end systolic and diastolic diameter; ESV and EDV = left ventricular end systolic and diastolic volume; SV = stroke volume; LVEF = left ventricular ejection fraction; LAD = left atrial diameter; LAVI = left atrial volume index; ICD = Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators; CRT = Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy; ACE = angiotensin-converting enzyme; ARB = angiotensin receptor blocker.